I hate talking about music, to tell you the truth.

I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.

Ambient music must be as ignorable as it is interesting.

Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences.

The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band

I had wanted a tape recorder since I was tiny. I thought it was a magic thing. I never got one until just before I went to art school.

My guitar only has five strings 'cause the top one broke and I decided not to put it back on: when I play chords I only play bar chords, and the top one always used to cut me there.

Lyrics are always misleading because they make people think that that's what the music is about.

Everything is an experiment until it has a deadline. That gives it a destination, context, and a reason.

Well, I am a dilettante. It's only in England that dilettantism is considered a bad thing. In other countries it's called interdisciplinary research.

Ambient Music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.

And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him.

The chances of anything man-like on Mars are a million to one

The reason I do interviews is because I'm protecting my songs.

I still think that there's some kind of psychological investment in black athletes carrying the flag for "us" at times. So, sports [remains a] metaphor for struggle and triumph and flair.

The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they all become beautiful.

I think seeking perfection in human affairs is a perfect way to destroy them.

When the grandmothers of today hear the word 'Chippendales,' they don't necessarily think of chairs.

I think the leaders in all parties tend to adjust to reality. They just have to or they won't remain in office.

You never think of films being really creepy that you're in because you just remember the funny stuff.

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie!